Pages

Thursday, May 18, 2017

By Brandon Hall(Email Him At WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)State Representatives Gary Howell and Gary Glenn have introduced legislation ending enrollment in the state's Medicaid Expansion program.

The bill would prevent new sign-ups after October 1st, subsequently placing conditions on those already on the rolls who would like to renew...

The legislators say the bill is well timed after the U.S. House recently replaced ObamaCare.

According to a press release:"Glenn and Howell said the legislation is particularly timely given that Congress voted Thursday to repeal ObamaCare and replace federal funding for the state Medicaid program with block grants that would not cover the program’s costs.

When the program began in 2014, the federal government agreed to pay for 100 percent of the additional cost of providing Medicaid benefits to able-bodied adults under the expanded criteria through 2016. But beginning in January, the state must pay for 5 percent of those increased costs, which will double to 10 percent by 2020.

Glenn’s and Howell’s bill would prohibit Michigan’s Health and Human Services department from accepting new enrollees under the expanded criteria into the medical welfare program as of October 1st. The department would be allowed to renew enrollment of current enrollees if they continue to meet eligibility requirements, even though the two GOP lawmakers said even that will likely become financially unsustainable in the state budget.

The legislation would also help redirect Medicaid dollars back to those the welfare program was originally intended to help, “disabled adults or children who are incapable of working to support and help themselves,” Glenn said.

“This is a measure of fiscal responsibility to the taxpayers of Michigan it’s our duty to represent,” Howell said. “I can’t imagine anything more fiscally irresponsible than allowing a welfare program for able-bodied adults -- that’s already financially unsustainable now -- to continue to grow even further.”__________________________________________________________________Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.